Is the Republican party done?

[Al B. Sure!]

50 years ago, the GOP lost the surest and most stalwart supporters of the Republican party, who had voted overwhelmingly Republican for a century: African Americans. Then in the last few decades, we've seen all but Cuban Americans break from the Republicans. Now, what has happened to the Asian American vote? In 1992, Bush Sr. received 55% of the Asian vote to Clinton's 31%. Asian Americans were solidly Republican voters. Now in 2012? Obama carried 73% of Asians! There's a big elephant in the room in the shrinking GOP tent and it's demographics. For various reasons, the Republican party has lost its strength since its founding: diversity.

[Lonestar]

Goldwater was the guy who said "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" quote. I think Eisenhower and Rockefeller would shudder to be lumped with him.

Goldwater also said that courting evangelicals would bring disaster to the GOP, because they have no concept of compromise and you need compromise in politics.

[-Jrabbit]

Yeah, I remember my parents talking about Goldwater as the one who would use nuclear bombs. (I was seven; I remember it distinctly. And we had bomb drills in school. Duck-and-cover!)

But when I read about Goldwater now (including things like that quote), there's a lot more appeal. He was really a classic American politician, and I for one mourn the lost art of compromise in Congress.

It's a good example of how rightward the whole GOP has slid over my lifetime.

[Boris Godunov]

Goldwater also said that courting evangelicals would bring disaster to the GOP, because they have no concept of compromise and you need compromise in politics.

Evangelical Christianity isn't the only kind of extremism there is, and that Goldwater wasn't a religious extremist doesn't mean he wasn't one in other areas.

[giblets]

Ben, I'm going to be as polite as possible and tell you something I told someone else:

The problem is, the Republican party will not survive as a national party if it becomes solely a coalition of the Southern Bible Belt and the Tea Party. It needs the leadership of Northern moderates, the so-called RINO's. Look, Nixon was a Californian, Reagan was a Californian by way of Illinois, H. W. Bush was a Massachusetts man like Romney. The GOP was at its zenith led by such men who captured national appeal. Nixon, Reagan, and H. W. Bush won elections by incredible margins, never before seen in American politics. Only Massachusetts didn't reelect Nixon; only Minnesota didn't reelect Reagan. 49 states going for Republicans! This was not ancient history!

What do you mean "incredible margins, never before seen in American politics"? LBJ and FDR were re-elected in landslides.

[Boris Godunov]

Landslides were de rigueur between 1920 and 1944.

[Boris Godunov]

The democrats are hardly better on immigration. They're in favor of certain increased rights for illegals, but not generally on solving the fundamental problem with our immigration, which is that we don't just let everyone in. Democrats like to let in more family members, and Republicans like to let in more skilled and educated individuals. Then they argue over whether to go the "humanitarian" route in quotas or "economic" route in quotas. It's kind of retarded.

Republicans should dash past Dems on this issue and go all out for immigration.

Sure.

Republicans: full-throated support of Arizona's SB170 law and those like it.
Democrats: full-throated opposition to that law and those like it.

Until you understand just how offensive and atrocious that law is to Latinos, you'll not understand why they are flocking to the Democrats.

Or you can compare the two platforms on Immigration and ask a Latino if the Democratic view is "hardly better."

And the Congressional Democrats have tried repeatedly to pass the DREAM Act, but the Republicans continue to block it. Note that one of its Republican backers was Dick Lugar, who was ousted by the Tea Party this year for his blasphemy.

[Al B. Sure!]

What do you mean "incredible margins, never before seen in American politics"? LBJ and FDR were re-elected in landslides.

Goldwater carried 6 states. McGovern and Mondale carried 1 each.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Sure.

Republicans: full-throated support of Arizona's SB170 law and those like it.
Democrats: full-throated opposition to that law and those like it.

Until you understand just how offensive and atrocious that law is to Latinos, you'll not understand why they are flocking to the Democrats.

Or you can compare the two platforms on Immigration and ask a Latino if the Democratic view is "hardly better."

And the Congressional Democrats have tried repeatedly to pass the DREAM Act, but the Republicans continue to block it. Note that one of its Republican backers was Dick Lugar, who was ousted by the Tea Party this year for his blasphemy.

Truth. The Arizona law is hated by almost every Latino I've ever spoken to (I realize that apocryphal, but I do think the number of Latinos that went Obama speaks to that). Also Latinos are very much for the DREAM Act. The sad thing is that George W. Bush would have been completely for it - which is why he kind of did ok with Latino voters.

[Hauldren Collider]

George Bush recognized the obvious reality that the GOP needs Latinos. However he was too weak willed to pursue them against the wishes of the idiots.

Y'all hate George Bush, some for the right reasons, most for the wrong ones, but he was no idiot.

[Al B. Sure!]

Let's still remember that immigration is a non-issue for Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans before we start lumping together all Hispanics into a monolith.

[Imran Siddiqui]

By modern Republican standards, that would be... Rick Santorum? Mike Huckabee? Go for it, nominate one of those guys in 2016. See what happens.

Actually, I think Huckabee would have done fairly well (likely better than Romney, IMO). IIRC, the Obama campaign was pretty happy that he didn't run this year (I guess it helps that Huckabee really isn't a tea party fiscal conservative type & that he has a sense of humor).

[giblets]

Goldwater carried 6 states. McGovern and Mondale carried 1 each.

Like it matters if your opponent got 6 states or 1 when you carry 60% of the popular vote.

[regexcellent]

Alby, Cubans overwhelmingly vote for Republicans.

[Imran Siddiqui]

George Bush recognized the obvious reality that the GOP needs Latinos. However he was too weak willed to pursue them against the wishes of the idiots.

Y'all hate George Bush, some for the right reasons, most for the wrong ones, but he was no idiot.

I don't think serious people really consider Bush to be an "idiot". For one, the guy was quite a brilliant campaigner.